Beer is the third highest consumed beverage in the world after water and tea. Beer is produced via the fermentation of cereals such as malted barley, wheat, corn and rice. It is then flavoured with hops which also act as a natural preservative, however some beers are also flavoured with fruit or herbs.

The process of brewing beer is as follows;

firstly the starch is converted into the ‘wort’ a sugary liquid bu mixing hot water with the starch such as malted barley known as mashing. The grains left in the mashing process are washed (known as sparging) to extract any fermantable liquid left. The wort is then placed in a kettle or copper and boiled for 1 hour, evaporating the water and leaving the sugars behind at which point the hops are added. The longer the hops are cooked for the stronger the bitter flavour becomes but less of the hop flavour remains. The hopped wort is then cooled in a fermenter where yeast is added. You have then produced beer which can then be aged in casks, kegs or bottles for various types of beers.

The word ‘Vodka’ is a diminutive of the Slavic word for water. It is widely held that vodka originated in a large grain-growing area which now encompasses Western Russia, Poland, Belarus, Lithuania, Scandinavia and the Ukraine.

Vodka is generally produced from a distillation of starch and/or sugar matter such as grains with vodkas made from rye and wheat deemed to be superior. Some other Vodka’ outside the areas known as the ‘Vodka Belt’ (made up of the original Vodka producing nations) are also made from potato, molasses, grapes and sugar beet with some made simply of yeast and crystal sugar. Nations within the Vodka Belt in Northern Europe have sought standardization regulations from the EU so that only Vodka made from grain and distilled in the traditional manner can be classified as Vodka.

Vodka is now one of the world’ most popular spirits, formerly not consumed much outside of Europe, since the mid 1970’s Vodka has overtaken sales of Bourbon in the USA. Some argue that the recent popularity of Vodka is sue to its lack of odour or taste making it ideal to mix with other flavours and as an alternative to other spirits in cocktails such as using Vodka instead of Gin in a Martini.

Vodka Links

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Gin is a clear spirit flavoured with juniper berries and has a few versions which all use the juniper berry differently in the process to give their distinctive flavour. Gin originated in Holland and the name originates for the French word genévrier meaning juniper.

Distilled Gin is made by redistilling the white grain spirit used to make the gin which has been flavoured with Juniper Berries. Compound Gin is made by flavouring the neutral grain spirit with juniper berries but is not redistilled. Sloe Gin is made by infusing the gin with sloes (fruit from the blackthorn) and is one of many infused gins. Plymouth Gin was a favourite of Winston Churchill and can only be made in Plymouth, England and this restriction is enforced under European Law. Old Tom Gin is slightly sweeter then London Dry Gin and is used in the cocktail Tom Collins which is where the gin gets its name. The most common form of gin is London Dry Gin, which is made by redistilling neutral grain spirit after it has been infused with botanicals such as lemon or bitter orange which are the most common. However, London Dry Gin can also be infused with botanicals such as anis, cinnamon, coriander and cassia bark to name a few.

Gin Links

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Rum is made via the distillation of sugar cane products namely molasses and sugar cane juice which is then fermented and distilled. The clear liquid that is produced through the distillation process is then aged in barrels normally oak or stainless steel tanks for generally a minimum period of 1 year. The rum is then blended to achieve its flavour with light rums being filtered to remove any dark colouring. Rum comes in many forms from light rums which are commonly used in cocktails to dark, golden and premium rums which are usually served on their own either neat or with ice. The production of rum is often closely associated with the Caribbean and South America however it is produced in other countries including Australia, India and Mauritius to name a few.

Unlike many spirits and liqueurs, the classification of rum is reliant upon the country in which it is produced. For example, Colombia requires a minimum abv of 50 whereas other South American nations only require the abv to be 40 (see Citydrinking drinks glossary for definition of abv). Furthermore Mexico requires a resting or aging period of 8 months where as in the Dominican Republic the minimum is 2 years. The type of rum also varies from country to country with largely Spanish Speaking countries producing light rums with a smoother finish, English speaking countries tend to produce darker rum with strong molasses flavours; where as many French speaking production countries produce rum which has a sweeter flavour and are often more expensive then the molasses based rums.

Although different countries classify the various rums in different ways it is generally accepted that the types of rums to be found are:

•Light Rum – subtle in flavour and often used as a base in cocktails
•Gold Rum – aged in barrels and therefore acquire a stronger flavour and darker colouring.
•Spiced Rum – Dark in colour and often infused for a spiced flavour.
•Dark Rum – Aged for a significant period of time in charred barrels it has a strong molasses flavour and dark colour and is usually drunk straight or used in cooking.
•Flavoured Rum – flavoured with fruits such as oranges these are often served on their own.
•Overproof Rum – must contain an abv above 40, however overproof rums can often be found to contain a proof above 75% and 151 and higher are not uncommon.
•Premium Rum – Designed to rival other spirits such as Cognac, Premium Rums are aged for a significant time and due to their quality are drunk without the introduction of other ingredients.

Rum Links

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Champagne is a sparkling wine, which is developed via the secondary fermentation process once the sparkling wine is bottled (see glossary for ‘secondary fermentation’) known as ‘methode champenoise’. The name Champagne is restricted to sparkling wines produced in the Champagne region, however outside of Europe in countries such as the USA there are legal structures which allow the use of the term for sparkling wines produced by long standing domestic producers under specific circumstances.

Some believe that Champagne was invented by the monk Dom Perignon around 1700; however the second fermentation which is vital in the champagne we drink today was documented by an English physician 40 years previously. Dom Perignon was responsible for certain features of champagne including the wire collar which surrounds the cork in order to withstand the pressure from the bottles contents. Champagne’s prominence is largely due to its popularity with French Royalty and word of this unique drink and its association with luxury and power spread via other European Royalty.

As the term ‘Champagne’ is restricted to the region it is produced similar sparkling wines produced in other countries have been given names to define them from other sparkling wines such as Cava in Spain, Asti in Italy, Cap Classique in South Africa and Sekt in Germany. There are also types of Champagne including Vintage and Non-Vintage. Vintage (see ‘vintage’ in citydrinking glossary) champagnes must be made of at least 85% of the grapes from a vintage year, whereas Non-Vintage are a blend of various vintages. Blanc de Noir champagnes meaning white of blacks are produced using the cuvee (see citydrinking glossary) of either Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier or a blend of the two. Blanc de Blanc or white of whites are made purely from Chardonnay grapes. Prestige Cuvee brands of champagne such as Cristal or Moet & Chandon Dom Perignon brand are a producers premier product. Champagne is available in 2 sizes; the standard 750 ml bottle and the 1.5 Litre Magnum bottle. Champagne is traditionally served in champagne flutes at a temperature between 7 to 9 degrees Celsius and the bottle should be opened by holding the cork firmly and turning the bottle or by removing the head of the bottle with a sabre.

Champagne links

Tequila is aptly named after the city in which it was first produced within the volcanic areas of Western Mexico. Made with the extracts of the cactus like Agave plant, however it is a common misconception that Tequila is actually made from Cacti. Tequila was first produced when Spanish settlers/conquistadors ran out of brandy and started to develop a drink made from the Agave plant.

Most Tequila is aged in casks and has 38-40% alcohol content; however some are made to contain an alcohol content of 43-46%. There are various types of Tequila which differ depending on the producers and although there remains a selection of family owned brands most of the top selling Tequila brands are owned by multi-national groups such as Fortune Brands or Brown-Forman who purchased the Herradura brand for $776 million in 2006. As well as changes in the ownership of Tequila producers there has also been a development since the turn of the century in the types of Tequila being sold with flavoured vodkas being officially recognised by The Tequila Regulatory Council of Mexico and the introduction of ‘extra anejo’ or ‘ultra aged’ category of Tequila which must have a minimum aging period of 3 years.

Tequila usually is comprised of 2 categories; mixtos and 100% agave. Mixtos is made up of roughly 49% agave and 51% other sugars which are normally glucose based. The 100% agave is fructose based and has 5 sub categories:

1. ‘Blanco/Plato’; meaning white or silver respectively is a white spirit, un-aged and is bold in flavour.
2. ‘Oro’; meaning gold is made up of un-aged Blanco tequila as well as other aged tequila’s and often caramel colouring.
3. ‘Reposado’; meaning rested is aged for between 2 months to 1 year in oak barrels and like ‘Anejo’ has a smoother flavour.
4. ‘Anejo’; meaning vintage is aged for between 1 and 3 years in oak barrels.
5. ‘Extra Anejo’ which is aged for a minimum of 3 years in barrels and has only been available since 2006.

The method of drinking tequila differ depending on whether it is drunk within or outside of Mexican borders. Within Mexico tequila is served in glasses called ‘caballito’, meaning little horse and is drunk neat often with the accompliment of a ‘sangrita’ which is traditionally red but can also be green (visit the Citydrinking ‘How to’ guides for recipe) and no salt or lemon/lime. Outside of Mexico tequila is most commonly drunk as a shot with salt to lessen the burning sensation and lemon/lime, which balances and enhances the flavour; this is often referred to as a ‘slammer’ or ‘tequila cruda’. In areas of central Europe Tequila Oro is consumed with cinnamon and orange There is a common misconception that tequila should come with a worm in the bottom of the barrel, however the worm is in fact the larval of a moth which lives on the agave plant and if found during the processing of tequila it is said to indicate a lower quality product. The continuous use of the ‘worm’ in tequila bottles has been put down to a marketing ploy which began in the 1940’s.

Tequila Links

Amaretto is often thought to be made of almonds due to the nature of it’s taste however it is actually a product of an infusion from the stones of drupe fruits. The name amaretto comes from the italian term amaro meaning bitter due to the bitter nature of the drupe fruits. This is why the drink is often sweetened sometimes with almonds. The introduction of almonds and production of amaretto can be put down to the time in history when Sicily was under the control of the Saracens (Arabs) who imported goods including fruits and almonds into italy from the African continent. The most well known brand of Amaretto is probably Disaronno, and amaretto is a key ingredient in an Almond, Rum and Sour.

If you would like to know how to make an Almond, Rum and Sour then click the link below.

How to make an Almond, Rum and Sour

Bourbon is named after Bourbon County in Kentucky U.S.A. and by AMerican law it must consist of 51% corn minimum but it typically consists of about 70% corn with the remaining ingredients being rye, wheat and barley. It is often distilled in oak barrels for at least two years and this two year period is mandatory to produce ’straight bourbon’. After the mixture is aged it is mixed with water and bottled with the resulting liquid normally coming out at around 40% abv (see glossary for definition of abv)

It is believed that bourbon originated at Fort Harrod in Kentucky in 1774 where people would plant corn and their harvests would exceed what they needed so they began producing Bourbon. Most bourbon is produced and distilled in Kentucky however it is also produced in Pennsylvania, Illinois as well as several other locations.

A Manhattan is a cocktail made with sweet vermouth, bitters and whiskey or bourbon. It is believed that the origins of the Manhattan stem from it’s creation at the Manhattan Club in New York City in the 1870’s where it was made for the then presidential candidate Samuel J Tilden at a banquet hosted by Winston Churchills mother. The success of the cocktail led to it being ordered in reference to the Manhattan Club.

If you would like to find out how to make a Manhattan click the link below.

How to make a Manhattan

The word Caipirinha originates from the word caipira meaning someone from the countryside and the Caipirinha is the national drink of Brazil and similar to rum it is made from sugarcane. Caipirinha’s are made using Cachaa which is a spirit usually between 38% - 48% proof and is often likened to rum however it is made from
sugar cane juice rather than the molasses.

The Caipirinha is a drink enjoyed the world over in part due to it’s addition to the International Bartenders List of Official Cocktails and the IBA has ranked teh Caipiriniha in it’s top 50 of all time great drinks.

For a guide to making a Caipirinha click the link below.

How to make a Caipirinha